“DEGRANON is sci-fi that warrants the attention of any serious aficionado, gay or straight, fascinated by alien worlds that mirror our own world.” –William Maltese, author of Beyond Machu

2009 will mark the 10th anniversary of when my first book, The Acorn Stories, first went into print. The ebook release reached its 10th anniversary this year.

“A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Discoveries

“The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character’s breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer.” –E. Conley, Betty’s Books

“If you liked WINESBURG, OHIO…rejoice.” –Watchword

“By the time you have finished reading these tales of the people who inhabit the fictitious town of Acorn, Texas, population 21,001, you will have met some endearing as well as irritating characters, from the Mayor to the local would-be gigolo; from the busy-bodies to the business owners; from those who grew up in Acorn and have tried to escape the small town to those who have moved to Acorn to escape from the real world.” –Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean

Frameline Films released that short film collection, distributed by Strand Releasing Home Video. Besides bringing gay films to viewers at home, Frameline also organizes an annual film festival. Frameline32: San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival will run June 19-29, 2008. Besides screening various gay classics, the festival will also introduce audiences to many new films. This year’s program includes the following, and much more.

In Breakfast With Scot, two uptight gay man adopt a flamboyant boy. In Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild, characters from the outrageous comedy Another Gay Movie decide on a new contest. The documentary Be Like Others introduces viewers to the transsexual community in Iran, while Call Me Troy reintroduces us to Metropolitan Community Church founder Troy Perry. Tilda Swinton stars in and produced Derek, a doc about filmmaker Derek Jarman. The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror spoofs horror movies and the ex-gay movement. The short film Just Me? involves a young lesbian’s discovery that that she might not be the only pink sheep of the family.

Marvel Studios, oh so giddy over its Iron Man money machine, announced details of upcoming comic book films, and a bit of trivia about a Captain America allusion in the Iron Man movie. The Iron Man movie lives up to its hype, by the way, but will The Incredible Hulk?

Publicity photos are now online for the gay-themed short horror film In The Closet. Pictures include a behind-the-scenes look, as well as an album with stars J.T. Tepnapa (Star Trek: Phase II) and Brent Corrigan (Another Gay Sequel).

Thursday, May 15, 2008

SciFi Channel, as usual, won’t wait until the fall for new scripted programming. While the current Friday night line-up will continue for a while, viewers can also look forward to a third season of the quirky hit Eureka on July 29.

For fans of gay-themed shows or movies, Logo will offer Sordid Lives: The Series, starting July 23. The movie Sordid Lives continues to grow as a cult classic. Here in West Texas, many viewers cringe while they laugh, because some of the characters in that comedy remind us of people we know!

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Here TV will premiere Kiss Me Deadly, a gay thriller starring Queer As Folk’s Robert Gant, on May 2. Directed by Ron Oliver (Third Man Out and Shock to the System), this original film also stars Shannen Doherty and John Rhys-Davies.

A&E Television is offering an exciting original as well, a miniseries of The Andromeda Strain. The cast includes Benjamin Bratt, Andre Braugher, Ricky Schroder, Christa Miller, Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim, and Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack.